Events 2008

First Annual Plenary Session on EU-Ukraine Related Research “EU-kraine: Members or Neighbours”

14 June 2008

On 14 June, 2008 the Oxford University Ukrainian Society in partnership with the British-Ukrainian Society, the Cambridge University Ukrainian Society and with the sponsorship of the St. Antony’s College, hosted the first annual plenary session on EU-Ukraine related research. The title of the conference “EU-Ukraine: Members or Neighbours” aimed to promote a constructive dialogue between students, scholars and practitioners on the complex topic of the ongoing and ever changing relationship between the European Union and Ukraine.

The conference hosted senior scholars such as Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse (University of Oxford), Dr. David Lane (University of Cambridge) and Dr. Marco Bojcun (London Metropolitan University) and graduate students from all over the EU. Mr. Richard Spring MP of the British Ukrainian Society made opening remarks and the Oxford University Ukrainian Society organised the event and led the discussion.

The second session of this year’s conference will take place at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine on 14 November 2008.

Dr. Edilberto Segura Lecture: "Ukraine's Economy Since Independence"

Dr. Segura was born in Peru, and has a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University, a Master of Arts in Economics and a Doctorate of Philosophy, Majoring in Finance, Minoring in Economic Development from Columbia University.

Dr. Segura joined the World Bank in 1973 and served in senior positions in 35 different countries until 1998. His many positions with the World Bank included Division Chief, Industrial Development and Finance Division, Europe, Middle East and North Africa Region; Director, Country Department II, Latin America and Caribbean Region; and Chief of World Bank Mission in Ukraine. During Dr. Segura’s tenure in Kiev, the World Bank approved total lending/guarantees of about US$1.6 billion for ten operations – Housing Development, Coal Pilot and Adjustment, Enterprise Development, Social Protection, Agricultural Adjustment, Electricity Market Development, Export Development, Pre-export Guarantee, Sea Launch Guarantee. Before his assignment in Ukraine, Dr. Segura was responsible for all World Bank operations in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Department's portfolio under his supervision included 90 operations, with a loan amount of US$12 billion. The Department's lending averaged about US$2.0 billion per year.

In 1998, Dr. Segura joined SigmaBleyzer as the Chief Economist and the head of the Kiev office where he works with the SigmaBleyzer portfolio of companies in order to improve their efficiency and attract outside investment. Dr. Segura is also the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Bleyzer Foundation. Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Segura is a published author, and he was a visiting professor at Oxford University Said Business School.

News

Mikheil Saakashvili was President of Georgia for two consecutive terms between 2004 and 2013. As a result of Saakashvili’s reforms in Georgia, the rate of corruption in the country was drastically reduced and the business environment was improved significantly. In 2015, Mr Saakahsvili became the governor of Ukraine's Odessa region, a post he held until November 2016.

The lecture will be introduced by Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, and moderated by Yelyzaveta Yasko, current MPP student at the School and President of Oxford University Ukrainian Society.

The Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London is inviting everyone for the live broadcast of the Eurovision Grand Final in Kyiv. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrate Diversity!’ It will be an unforgettable evening, full of music and dance as well as delicious authentic Ukrainian food. Additionally, there will be a chance to enjoy some beer and a BBQ in the garden. Each ticket includes a free drink and authentic Ukrainian snacks.

Places are limited and early booking is advisable. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards British-Ukrainian Aid’s humanitarian projects.

The Trinity term has begun, and this week we will have an outstanding opportunity to meet Gennadiy Afanasiev, a Ukrainian human rights activist of Crimean origin who spent over 400 days in Russian prison. One month after the annexation of Crimea, Mr Afanasiev was arrested on the charge of 'terrorist activities' after participating in pro-Ukrainian demonstrations and sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in a Russian penal colony. As a result of a high-profile prisoner exchange, he was released in 2016. We are delighted to welcome him to Oxford to tell us about his struggles, captivity and ongoing activism.

International Film Society is showing one of Paradjanov’s masterpieces, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.

Paradjanov, an Armenian director and one of the great cinematic geniuses of Soviet cinema, tells a simple Romeo-and-Juliette-like story set in the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains. In Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, the simple tale of the unrequited love of Ivan and Marichka serves to revolutionise the art of story-telling in cinema, showing astonishing originality through the use of music, cinematography and camerawork. The film is a hypnotising whirlwind of colour and sound set against a background of folklore and traditional tales, which seems to come to us from another world. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/7516458